45 



tecting the seals would depend upon the kind of arrangement which 

 Great Britain would be willing- to make with the United States for the 

 policing of the seas and for the trial of British subjects violating the 

 regulations which the two governments may agree upon for such pro- 

 tection." TJ. S. Case, Vol. 1, App.^ 175. 



During a temporary absence of Mr. Phelps from London, Mr. White, 

 the United States Charge d'Affaires, had an interview with Lord Sal- 

 isbury and the Kussian ambassador, and reported that M. de Staal 

 exj)ressed a desire, on behalf of his government, to include in the area 

 to be protected by the convention the Sea of Okhotsk, or at least that 

 portion of it in which Robben Island is situated, there being, he said, 

 in that region large numbers of seals whose destruction is threatened 

 in the same way as those in Bering Sea; and that Lord Salisbury, 

 in order to meet the Eussian Government's wishes respecting the 

 waters surrounding Bobben Island, suggested that, besides the 

 whole of Bering Sea, those portions of the sea of Okhotsk and of the 

 Pacific Ocean north of latitude 47 degrees should be included in the pro- 

 posed arrangement. His lordship intimated, furthermore, that the 

 period proi^osed by the United States for a close time, April 15 to No- 

 vember 1, might interfere with the trade longer than absolutely neces- 

 sary for the protection of the seals, and he suggested October 1, instead 

 of a month later, as the termination of the period of seal protection. 

 TJ. 8. Case, Vol., 1, App., 179. 



Mr. Bayard, in reply, said that he did object to the inclusion of the 

 Sea of Okhotsk, or so much of it as was necessary for the protection of 

 the seals; nor did he deem it absolutely necessary to insist on the ex- 

 tension of the close season till the 1st of November. Only such a i)eriod • 

 was desired as was requisite for the end in view. But that suc- 

 cess may be assured in the efforts of the various governments inter- 

 ested in the protection of the seals, it seemed advisable to take the loth 

 of October instead of the 1st as the date of the close time, although, 

 the 1st of November would be safer. U. 8. Case, Vol. 1, App., 180. 



At the argument there was some controversy between counsel as to 

 whether Lord Salisbury had, in fact, agreed to any particular mode of 

 protecting these fur seals from destruction. It is quite sufficient, 

 in any view of this case, to accept the account Lord Salisbury him- 

 self gave of the meeting between himself and the representatives of 

 the United States and Russia, on which occasion was considered the 

 question of the preservation of the furseal species. The principal 



